The Trials of Destiny
by mattavocadoatlaw
Summary: Adrien Agreste is a normal boy. He goes to school, hangs out with his friend Nino, and admires the superheroine Ladybug, who saves Paris from akumas. But all that changes when a tiny god informs him that he has a destiny-a destiny with the spotted hero. But all is not as it appears. Will Ladybug trust this Chat Noir? Or will she be wary of a Black Cat, just like everyone else?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own ML, Astruc does

Adrien Agreste considered himself to be a normal boy. Sure, his dad was a billionaire fashion designer who couldn't give him the time of day, but overall Adrien was just like everyone else.

That is, until the day his cat turned out to be a god.

It started six months before his birthday, at the beginning of the school year. See, before, he hadn't been allowed to leave the house, much less go to school. He had to enroll himself, which was only accomplished due to his friend Chloe pulling some strings. Somehow, his father's secretary-Nathalie-managed to convince his dad that his going to school wouldn't result in the immediate destruction of the universe. How she did that, Adrien had no idea. His father had gotten him a cat as a present, hoping that having to take care of a pet would teach him about responsibility. In reality, Gabriel needed his son out of his hair, and distracting him with a cat would be a good way to achieve that.

Adrien named the kitten Plagg. He had black fur and green eyes that gave anyone the feeling of being judged. Plagg was also perhaps the laziest being in the world; all he did was eat and sleep. Not exactly intriguing. But Adrien adored the little cat. A pet didn't care about any responsibilities. A pet didn't expect Adrien to be perfect.

His birthday was better than any he'd had before, despite the whole best-friend-getting akumatized deal. Nino had become the Bubbler, an akuma that attempted to rid the world of adults forever. But Ladybug, _Ladybug herself_ , had shown up to save the day.

Ladybug.

Adrien admired the heroine just as much as everyone else in Paris. She was so brave, so kind, and so heroic. Ladybug defeated akuma after akuma-practically every day, in fact. And she did it by herself, only having her abilities and her yo-yo to overpower the supervillains. His love for the hero had only grown after Bubbler's defeat, when Adrien saw her comforting Nino. He'd walked over to help Nino get up, but froze when he saw her.

"Adrien!" She said, clearly a little flustered. "Hi, ugh, happy birthday!"

For a second, he questioned how she knew his birthday. But he shrugged that off, saying, "I'm-I'm fine, Ladybug. Thanks so much for all your help."

"It's nothing. Ugh, I mean, it's all in a day's work for the hero of Paris," she said. He suddenly heard a beeping sound, and Ladybug jumped back. "I'm about to detransform. Have a nice birthday!" And then she was gone, swinging off to wherever superheroes go.

"Dude," Nino muttered. "Was that Ladybug?"

"Yeah," he responded. "It was."

After that whole debacle, many of his classmates surprisingly stayed at his house. Apparently they believed that a party was still a party, no matter that it was caused by an akuma. Adrien stayed with Nino, trying to comfort his poor friend. He was clearly shaken by his whole experience. His eyes had bags underneath them, and every few minutes he would see Nino look around nervously, like he was trying to avoid someone that wasn't even there. Having never been akumatized, he didn't really know what to say. Marinette had done a far better job than him, bringing his friend food and a blanket.

"It'll be alright," Marinette said. "A lot of people have been akumatized, and no one blames you for what happened. It was Hawkmoth who did it, not you." She had fierce look in her eyes, something Adrien hadn't seen with her before. The girl always stuttered and panicked whenever he was around. While he was sure she didn't like him, that didn't appear to extend to his best friend.

"Thanks Marinette," he told her.

Again, she whipped around right at him and started blabbering incomprehensibly. "Oh-I'm fine, I mean, it's fine, Nino's fine, ugh..." then she turned around and practically ran out of the room.

He sighed. Why did she hate him so much? Adrien thought she'd gotten over their first meeting, when she believed he put gum on her seat. He apologized, explained how it was a misunderstanding, and at first, it seemed like she got it. But now, Marinette avoided him more than ever. It made him sad. She was so nice to everyone, except him.

His classmates all left the party a few hours later. It was dinner time, and their families would want to have dinner with them.

I wonder what that's like, he thought. But he shoved that aside. This was a good day. He got to meet Ladybug, his hero, and she actually talked to him! Sure, it was only for a few seconds, but still. A win is a win.

As he walked up the stairs toward his bedroom, he realized how tired he was. It had been an incredibly long day, even without the Bubbler situation. Yawning, he opened the door, expecting to see Plagg lazily lying on the bed.

But what he saw would change his life forever. Because Plagg was there, but he was not a cat. Plagg was a tiny creature who floated in the air, munching on what appeared to be some cheese. And this creature- _Plagg_ -opened his mouth and said, "Hey, can you get me some more camembert?"

"WHAT?" Adrien shrieked. His voice was higher and more shrilly than it had ever been. Not his most dignified moment. But how could he react any different, when his cat had turned into some magical being?

"Calm down kid, it's me, Plagg. Seriously, do you have any more cheese? I'm starving." He took another bite of his camembert. "And keep your voice down. You'll wake up all of Paris at this rate."

He breathed in. _Stay calm, stay calm_ , he instructed himself. He took a few deep breaths, and walked closer to the bed, and closer to his cat. "What are you? What did you do with my cat? Why are you here?"

"I'm a kwami, kitten. Basically this ultra-powerful god who grants powers, except I don't have any fancy temples or blood sacrifices. I just need my cheese."

A kwami. Adrien had never heard the term used before. He'd heard of wizards, genies, and fairies, but never kwamis, who apparently cared more about cheese than his current mental state. "Why would a god pretend to be my cat? Are you even a cat at all, or are the ears-"

Plagg looked at him like he was the slowest person in the world. "I'm here because you are my chosen, Adrien. Just like Ladybug is the ladybug kwami's chosen."

Ladybug had a kwami. Ladybug was like him. Ladybug had listened to a magical six inch god tell her she was the Chosen One. This was too much. How had this become his life? His birthday party seemed like a million years ago. "I'm like Ladybug? But I don't have any powers."

"You have this," Adrien saw what Plagg was looking at. It was a hexagon-shaped box with some sort of symbol on it. Chinese, he guessed. He slowly opened the box, half expecting a huge explosion the second he saw what was inside. But there was no bomb. Only a ring. A small, silver ring that would easily fit his finger.

"What is this?"

"It's your Miraculous. It's what allows you to transform. All you have to do is say, 'Claws out,' and I'll turn you into a hero."

A hero. That word was enticing to Adrien. A hero wasn't some model. A hero saved Paris, not his father's fashion show. Adrien quickly put on the ring, and shouted, "Plagg, claws out!"

"Wait! I'm not done explaining-" he saw the kwami get sucked into the ring, and felt a green light wash over him. He felt stronger, faster, and more aware than he ever had been before.

He raced to the bathroom, quickly turned on the light, and looked into the mirror. There he was, the perfect son, model, and student, with wild hair, cat ears, and eyes that were just like the very cat in his ring. He smirked. This was it. Adrien-no, Chat Noir-ran out of the bathroom, opened the window, and jumped out.

It was time to be a hero.

AN: So this is my first multi-chaptered fic. It's basically an AU where Adrien doesn't get his miraculous at the same time as Ladybug. The explanation as to why will be a bit later, as well as the explanation as to why Plagg was in the form of a cat for so long. I'm excited to see this play out, and I hope anyone who reads this enjoys it. Please leave any criticism in the comments; I always hope to improve upon my writing. Thank you!


	2. Chapter 2

I don't own ML

Chapter 2

This was better than anything Adrien had ever experienced. No roller coaster could top the feeling of leaping high into the night sky, plummeting downward, then landing perfectly on his feet. He felt invincible-like nothing in this world could hurt him, physically or mentally. Plagg was right. The old kwami had turned him into a hero after all. Gabriel Agreste couldn't lock Chat Noir in his bedroom, or forbid him from going to school, or forbid him from being _him._

God, was this how Ladybug felt all the time?

 _Ladybug._ Suddenly, it him that she had a civilian identity as well. She wasn't an immortal goddess like many on the Ladyblog had theorized. How old was she? Did he know her? Or she was a stranger? A new person to grow close to, another person to discover more about?

Chat realized that he was going to have to meet up with her eventually. They would reveal their identities, and begin an amazing lifelong partnership that would spawn countless legends and at least one cartoon.

Excitement coursed throughout his whole body as he glanced down at the gleaming streets of Paris. Many people were still bustling about on the crowded streets, and he saw many look up at him in wonder.

"AKUMA!" someone shouted, and everyone started running indoors in a panic. He saw many people get trampled in their mad dash to get away from the threat.

Where was it? Chat Noir searched for the new supervillain, but saw nothing from the high rooftop he was on. Then it hit him-they thought _he_ was the akuma. Of course. He probably inherited all the black cat's bad luck the second he put the ring on.

"Ladybug's here!" a civilian said. Adrien saw the superheroine jump toward the chaos, toward him.

"I'm not an-" But it was too late. He felt himself get wrapped up in her yo-yo and get hung upside down on a nearby lamppost. The people milling about started cheering when she got down on the ground.

"It's in his bell," he heard her mutter to herself.

"I'm not-"

She reached to grab said bell, but was cut off when the feline hero said, "I'm not an akuma, Ladybug. I'm like you. I have a kwami and a miraculous-just like you."

Ladybug froze. Her hand dropped and she narrowed her eyes. "Where is your miraculous?" Her tone was short and icy. He clearly hadn't made the best impression.

"Well, My Lady," he started. His cheeks burned bright red. Adrien told himself to act like all the heroes on TV. He couldn't get nervous here, not in front of his idol or all these random people. "It's my ring. I'm Chat Noir, and I must say, you are the cat's meow."

She rolled her eyes at him. Then, she untied her yo-yo string and said, "Meet me by the Eiffel Tower, Chat Noir."

Several mile high jumps later, Adrien found himself at the top of the Eiffel Tower with Ladybug. He internally groaned. This day wasn't going as he'd planned. He was supposed to swoop in and save the day, winning both the hearts of Ladybug and Paris. Instead, he was heading off to a talk that seemed more like an interrogation than a meet-and-greet.

"Where did you get your ring?" Ladybug asked. She was staring intently at him, and he couldn't tell whether she was annoyed at him or angry.

"My cat."

Her glare became harsher. "What?"

"I mean-my cat is my kwami. He was a regular cat but then he became this floating creature whose obsessed with cheese, and he gave me this ring-"

"I believe you."

"Wait, what?"

She shot him another questioning look. "I said, I believe you. If you were an akuma, you wouldn't know what a kwami was. Plus, you didn't hurt any civilians or try to steal my Miraculous. Not that you could anyway."

For a second, Adrien was insulted. Then he saw the warmth in her eyes. Ladybug was teasing him, almost like he was her friend.

"Definitely."

Ladybug looked down at the city of Paris, with all of its lights and glowing buildings. "It's amazing to be up here, isn't it?"

"Yeah," he whispered. "It is."

She looked back at him. "We can meet up tomorrow, at midnight, right here. I'm sorry, I just have a lot to do tonight, but tomorrow we can finish our talk."

Adrien nodded. He realized that he'd forgotten about Miss Bustier's essay that was due tomorrow. Most of it was done, but he still had to wrap it up.

Chat Noir gave a huge grin. "Sure thing, My Lady."

And he knew in that moment that becoming a hero was the best decision he's ever made.

AN: So, here's the second chapter, with Adrien's first meeting with Ladybug (as Chat.) I had fun writing this, and I hope anyone who reads it enjoys it too. Please leave any criticism in the comments (grammar, if any of the characters are OOC, etc) Thank you!


	3. Chapter 3

I don't own ML

"Bro, have you heard about what happened last night?" Nino's voice snapped Adrien out of his reverie. His friend was animatedly talking, with his hands fluttering around in all directions like he couldn't decide what to do with them.

"Ugh, what?"

Nino shot him a questioning look. "Last night! There's a new hero in town!"

That made Adrien sit up. Apparently word had already spread about his heroic (not really) debut. Did Ladybug say anything about him after she'd left? If so, then what?

He could feel Plagg inside his jacket. It felt a little awkward to have the kwami in there, but reassuring at the same time. Adrien knew it was a reminder-a reminder that the events last night actually happened, that it wasn't some concocted fantasy.

Just thinking about what happened put a smile on his face. Sure, he hadn't made the best impression to the people of Paris, but Ladybug trusted him. She trusted him, even though he looked like a threat, even though she'd never met him before. It was only the first step; Adrien could feel it.

"A new hero? Ha!" He heard Chloe's voice echo throughout the classroom. "That mangy cat is an akuma, not a hero."

"Not true!" Nino responded. Alix, Kim, Max, and several others nodded along with him. "He's like Ladybug. If he wasn't, wouldn't he have attacked everyone?"

Chloe just raised her eyebrow. "If the he was a god like Ladybug, then why'd he let himself get tied up? He doesn't seem powerful to me."

 _Technically, it's my cat who is the god, not me,_ he thought. Adrien slid down, trying desperately to hide from the conversation. He didn't need to be reminded of his initial screw up. There had to be at least one viral video showing all the details.

"Back off, Chloe," Marinette said. The Chinese girl stood up, her back ramrod straight, and her hands bunched together in fists. " _Chat Noir_ is a hero. Not a villain or a god or anything else. A hero."

"And what would you know about heroes, Marinette Dupain-Cheng?"

He could see her take a step toward Chloe, like she was going to confront her, but she held herself back. Adrien felt sympathy for his classmate. Even though she was his friend, he knew Chloe could be a bit much.

"Leave her alone, Chloe," he said, joining the conversation. His friend huffed, but backed off. The class grew quiet for several awkward moments. Marinette looked at him, silently saying _Thank you._

"What about a cosplayer?" Juleka spoke up, breaking the silence.

"No way," said Alya. "A cosplayer can't jump several feet in the air on his own." She looked down for a minute, then snapped her fingers. Adrien could practically see the lightbulb pop up above her head. "You know what, I think he's Ladybug's brother!"

"HE'S NOT HER BROTHER!" He shouted. The entire class seemed to think that he'd gone mad. He swallowed. "I mean, he doesn't look anything like her. He can't be related to her."

Alya raised her hands defensively. "Hey, I'm just sharing theories. Besides, that's what a lot of people on the Ladyblog think."

Adrien groaned. _Of course_.

Later that day, he was in his room, scrolling through the Ladyblog's Theory Section. Some people thought he was her brother, others thought he was he was Hawkmoth in disguise (one theory actually said he was Hawkmoth's son. Adrien snorted. _As if Gabriel Agreste could be an evil moth man.)_ A few believed he was the devil, while another thought he was a cat who'd taken human form.

Adrien sighed. Everyone here thought he was this magical, all-powerful being. Not a boy who had homework and friends (well, friend,) and a family. Had he really traded one pedestal for another?

Plagg floated right next to him. It was still weird to see his cat in kwami form, no matter how much Adrien convinced himself that it was normal. The kwami took a bite of cheese and said, "Kid, why do you care about what random people online think? Don't you have better things to worry about?"

"I don't."

"Sure."

Adrien played with his ring. "It's just-I can't be what these people think I am. I'm not a perfect model or superhero, I'm just _me_."

"Exactly."

"What do you mean?"

His kwami sighed. "You were chosen for a reason, kid. I can't tell you all the details now, but trust me, you'll do fine. You fulfill all the requirements to being a Cat, Adrien. And there are not many people who do."

He smiled. "So you do care."

"Not a chance, kitten. I just don't want to pick another Chosen."

Adrien glanced back at the screen, then back at Plagg. For whatever reason, he was chosen for this. Maybe he wasn't the best person for the job, but he had to do this nonetheless. Maybe he wouldn't be as great of a hero as Ladybug. Maybe he would fail in the end, dooming the world to Hawkmoth's rule.

He got up from his chair. Whatever happened, he knew he had to try his best. No matter what, he would be the best Chat Noir he could be.

AN: So here's another chapter. Quick explanation-the reason why a lot of people think Chat is Ladybug's brother is that they think she isn't human; that she's some kind of immortal, all-powerful being. So they assume anyone with power like her has to be part of her family. It's probably not going to be a major plot point, but I thought it would be fun to see how Paris views their heroes. Anyways, I hope anyone who reads this enjoys this. Criticism would be much appreciated-I'm a beginner in the world of fic, and writing in general. So I would love to improve my skills. Thank you!


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